2024/2025 College Basketball Season - Team Previews: 11 - 15
#11: Arizona Wildcats
Returning
Caleb Love (18.0 ppg - 41% / 33% / 84%)
Jaden Bradley (7.0 ppg - 46% / 46% / 83%)
KJ Lewis (6.1 ppg - 47% / 34% / 79%)
Motiejus Krivas (5.4 ppg - 55% / 0% / 78%)
Henry Veesaar (2.4 ppg in ‘22 - ‘23)
Conrad Martinez (0.9 ppg - 44% / 14% / 67%)
Transfers
Anthony Dell’Orso (20.2 ppg @ Campbell - 49% / 38% / 81%)
Trey Townsend (17.3 ppg @ Oakland - 46% / 38% / 78%)
Tobe Awaka (5.1 ppg @ Tennessee - 59% / 0% / 74%)
Recruits
Carter Bryant (ESPN #20 / 247Sports #28)
Emmanuel Stephen (ESPN #96 / 247Sports #114)
“It’s Caleb Love time” - Caleb Love, for another year.
Ladies and gentlemen…he’s back. Caleb Love is the gift that keeps on giving for college basketball fans and content creators, and it is truly a blessing for all of us that he’s returning to make use of his final year of eligibility. Let us cherish every minute and every 30+ ft pull-up three that this man gives us over the next several months. Alright, we can look at the whole team now - I just had to start by respecting a legend.
Welcome to the Big 12, Wildcats. I’m VERY interested in this team - they lost several great players that were instrumental to their Sweet 16 run and will be hard to backfill (center Oumar Ballo and guard Kylan Boswell to the portal, wing Pelle Larsson and forward Keshad Johnson to the NBA), but they return several high-upside role players and got 3 really good players from the portal. I don’t know if this team’s ceiling is as high as it was last year, but I think it’s a Top 15 squad that could be surprisingly good if a few players break out. Obviously, Caleb will be a high usage guy yet again - he’s the reigning Pac 12 (RIP) Player of the Year, and he’ll keep the offense humming as a likely First Team All Big 12 pick. I, for one, am proud of our guy for finally breaking the 40% shooting threshold (41.3%) last year. I like the guys who will help round out the backcourt, too: junior Jaden Bradley, sophomore KJ Lewis, and even junior transfer Anthony Dell’Orso from Campbell. Bradley is going to be one of the better all-around point guards in the Big 12 - he shot the ball much better last season (46% on 2s AND 3s), can distribute the ball incredibly efficiently (based on his numbers as a freshman at Alabama), and plays great defense. Lewis is a strong, athletic guard who plays bigger than he is. He drives and finishes really well through contact against bigger players, rebounds well, steals the ball at a really high clip, and shoots the ball decently well, too. The only thing Boswell did that these two haven’t proven they can do better is hit 3s consistently - both shot fewer than 50 times from deep, while Boswell hit 66 of them at a 38% clip (which is pretty dang good). Dell’Orso is effectively a direct replacement for Pelle Larsson - he’s not as athletic as Larsson, and probably won’t be as effective, but he’s an incredibly balanced player who impacted games across every facet last season. He may have played for a *really* bad team, but any wins that team had should be credited to him - he rebounds and passes really well for his position, and he can get buckets from anywhere on the floor (shot 52% from 2 and 39% from 3 last season). All that to say, the backcourt is really solid, even if not all that deep.
But my favorite offseason additions of Tommy Lloyd’s are in the frontcourt: Trey Townsend from Oakland, Tobe Awaka from Tennessee, and 5 star freshman Carter Bryant. Everyone remembers Jack Gohlke going viral for hitting 10 threes to beat Kentucky in the first round, but Townsend was the best all-around player on that Oakland team. Talk about playing bigger than your size…he’s one of the better 6’6” “power forwards” you’ll see next year. He’s so strong and uses his body so well to finish around the basket and snag rebounds. He’s also a very intelligent passer and off-ball cutter, and he has some shooting range. If Tobe Awaka doesn’t start, he should be high on “Sixth Man of the Year” lists next year. He’s a perfect backup center. He only played 13 mpg as a backup for Jonas Aidoo last season, but he was a DAWG every time he stepped on the floor. He was the best rebounder on the team, shot well in the paint, got to the free throw line regularly, and protected the rim well on defense. His limited offensive game and alarmingly high foul-rate hold him back a bit, but he provides some of the best big-man bench minutes in the game. Incoming freshman Carter Bryant will likely see some meaningful playing time too - he’s 6’8” with a 7’ wingspan, he moves and shoots like a wing, but rebounds and defends like a true forward. If he gets decent minutes at the 4 behind Townsend, he could potentially play his way into NBA Draft consideration. Motiejus Krivas will likely start at center - he’s definitely a step down from Oumar Ballo, but he was really good as a backup last year. He’s every inch of 7’2”, rebounds and blocks shots at elite levels, and while he’s not the finisher or strong physical presence that Ballo was, he moves better, he can be equally disruptive on D, and he’s a better shooter at the FT line. Henry Veesaar and freshman Emmanuel Stephan can serve as emergency frontcourt depth in case of foul trouble, too.
I’m kind of stuck on how to rank Arizona going into the season. The roster is really nice, but it seems like the replacements for Larsson, Johnson, and Ballo are all likely slight downgrades. I’m also wondering how they fare against a loaded Big 12 schedule vs. the relatively cushy Pac 12 calendar. In my eyes, Jaden Bradley and Trey Townsend are the keys to this team - if they can be some of the best in the Big 12 at their respective positions, I think Arizona could be very good. The downside case, however, is potentially alarming - and that would be the team struggling offensively and relying on Caleb Love “hero ball” more than is healthy (it’s an addictive drug). He, and the Wildcats, thrived with him as a leader surrounded by a talented, balanced team - they’ll need that dynamic to continue to stay afloat, especially in their new conference.
#12: Marquette Golden Eagles
Returning
Kam Jones (17.2 ppg - 50% / 41% / 72%)
David Joplin (10.8 ppg - 41% / 36% / 68%)
Stevie Mitchell (8.8 ppg - 52% / 27% / 77%)
Chase Ross (6.1 ppg - 43% / 36% / 72%)
Sean Jones (5.8 ppg - 42% / 26% / 75%)
Ben Gold (5.0 ppg - 45% / 36% / 53%)
Tre Norman (2.0 ppg - 38% / 19% / 56%)
Zaide Lowery (1.6 ppg - 33% / 31% / 64%)
Al Amadou (1.2 ppg - 67% / 0% / 25%)
Transfers
N/A
Recruits
Damarius Owens (ESPN #84 / 247Sports #75)
Royce Parham
Caedin Hamilton
Joshua Clark
Shaka Smart is one of two D1 men’s basketball coaches to not take a single transfer from the portal - which is a bold strategy, considering he’s losing two NBA Draft picks and could probably use the infusion of talent for next season. Don’t get me wrong, Marquette is still going to be a really good team next season: Kam Jones should be a First Team All Big East player, David Joplin returns as the team’s starting power forward and 2nd most prolific three point shooter (at a decent clip too, 35.5%), Stevie Mitchell is another returning starter that will offer backcourt continuity - he finishes really well at the rim (63% from 2) and is an elite defensive guard (29th in Steal Rate), Chase Ross - another great defender - should get the nod to start at the wing, and former backup big Ben Gold will fill in for Ighodaro at the 5 as a decent rim defender who can also shoot and space the floor on offense.
That is a strong starting 5! But it’s not a lineup with Top 5 team potential like last year’s squad had. Losing Kolek and Ighodaro - as individual players, but also as a go-to pick-and-roll combo - is going to be incredibly hard to replace. Kolek was so vital to the Golden Eagles’ success last year…he was very arguably the best point guard in the country. He had a Top 5 assist rate in the country at 42% (which is obscene), he was their 2nd best shooter, and one of two, maybe three guys that Shaka could rely on to go get their own bucket. He was also one of the mentally toughest competitors in all of college basketball, and that’s not something you replace easily. Ighodaro was one of the most athletic centers in the country, and while Ben Gold is a good option at the 5, he’s not going to offer the same level of ability and toughness. Shaka is one of those guys that’s always been able to develop his guys into impressive players over several years, which is probably part of why you didn’t see any players transfer OUT of Marquette this summer, either. So maybe guys like Mitchell, Ross, Gold, and Sean Jones (backup Junior PG, returning from injury last year) will improve enough to make Marquette more dangerous, but as things stand I think they’re going to be worse than last season.
I think they’ll be Top 25-35 on both ends of the court (similar to last season), but I think they’ll be a little worse offensively and they could be even worse at rebounding (and they were ranked 270+ on the offensive and defensive glass last year). It’s also unclear who’s going to be the starting “point guard”. It has to be either Mitchell or Jones, and I worry about how effective Jones can be if he’s spending time facilitating the offense rather than having it facilitated to him. And if it’s Mitchell…well, he averaged less than one assist per game last year. I think Marquette will finish Top 4 in the Big East, but I don’t see them challenging UCONN for top dawgs.
#13: UCLA Bruins
Returning
Dylan Andrews (12.9 ppg - 40% / 32% / 81%)
Sebastian Mack (12.1 ppg - 39% / 28% / 73%)
Lazar Stefanovic (11.5 ppg - 39% / 28% / 73%)
Aday Mara (3.5 ppg - 44% / 0% / 70%)
Brandon Williams (3.1 ppg - 36% / 25% / 62%)
Devin Williams (1.4 ppg - 63% / 0% / 57%)
Transfers
Tyler Bilodeau (14.3 ppg @ Oregon State - 53% / 35% / 80%)
Dominick Harris (14.3 ppg @ Loyola Marymount - 43% / 45% / 78%)
Skyy Clark (13.2 ppg @ Louisville - 41% / 35% / 78%)
William Kyle III (13.1 ppg @ South Dakota State - 62% / 0% / 58%)
Kobe Johnson (10.9 ppg @ USC - 40% / 31% / 73%)
Eric Dailey Jr. (9.3 ppg @ Oklahoma State - 50% / 33% / 60%)
Recruits
Trent Perry (ESPN #28 / 247Sports #35)
Eric Freeny (ESPN #100 / 247Sports #76)
Mick Cronin’s first year at UCLA without Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez was an expectedly rocky one - even more-so than expected. The Bruins finished 16-17, rated 88th overall per Bart Torvik and 98th overall per KenPom…but that doesn’t tell the full story of the season. UCLA played much better in the second half of the season, especially on offense. From January 14th on, they were 48th rated overall team per Bart Torvik, and their offensive efficiency jumped from 133rd to 62nd. That’s a pretty notable bump, and while Cronin won’t get any coaching awards from a season that ended with a sub-.500 record, it’s a credit to his coaching ability - and possibly a reason to believe in UCLA this year - that his young team improved as much as it did despite their atrocious start.
UCLA will be one of the more interesting teams to keep an eye on early this year. They return 3 of their Top 4 leading scorers from last season in junior point guard Dylan Andrews, sophomore guard Sebastian Mack, and senior wing Lazar Stefanovic (losing only Adem Bona, to the NBA Draft). Sophomore Brandon Williams, who started at the 4, will also be back for the Bruins, as will 7’3” sophomore center Aday Mara. That’s a pretty good returning base to work with, and Cronin managed to complement it with a Top 10 transfer class of 6 players, all of whom averaged 9+ ppg at D1 programs, as well as two Top 100 freshmen. So, Mick immediately goes from a rebuilding season with a roster he had to hastily patch together with duct tape and international kids, to having 12 players that he can confidently play in most games. That’s improvement!
Most of the transfers were clearly brought in to inject some much-needed life into the Bruins’ offense. Sophomore forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State is a very fun big man. He’s one of the most skilled returning forwards in the game - he shot 60% from 2, 35% from 3, and nearly 80% from the FT line. He’s also a very strong rebounder and a decent passer. He will give the Bruins a lot of flexibility with their lineups - he’ll likely play the 4 most of the time, but can play the 3 or small-ball 5 as well depending on matchups. Senior wing Kobe Johnson is one of the few transfers to jump to a direct rival program. While he’s not the most efficient scorer, he’s an incredibly important glue guy / role player. He’s one of the best defenders in college basketball, and he rebounds and passes very well for his size / position. Before getting hurt towards the end of last season, senior guard Dominick Harris from Loyola Marymount was one of the best 3pt shooters in the country: almost 45% on 6 attempts per game. Harris also has insane range, and was in the Top 3% of players on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Junior guard Skyy Clark, formerly of Illinois then Louisville, should provide backcourt depth of much higher quality than UCLA had last season. Though L’ville was the high-major equivalent of the gif of the burning dumpster floating down a flooded street, Skyy was one of the brightest spots on that floating dumpster. He shot decently well (46% from 2, 35% from 3) and was one of only 2 players on the team capable of passing the ball well, though turnovers were still a big issue for him. Junior forward / center William Kyle III from South Dakota State is an electric, BOUNCY rim-runner and an absolute menace in transition - jackrabbit was an appropriate mascot for him. He’s one of the few bigs you’ll see beat everyone down the floor after a rebounded miss, if he’s not the one snagging the board…and he frequently is. Most of his half-court looks come from off-ball cuts (where he is elite) and putbacks. He’s a solid rebounder, especially on the offensive glass, and his 7’3” wingspan helps him block shots regularly. Sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr. was a pleasant surprise for Oklahoma State last season, and he could be one of the most overlooked / underrated transfers that could be in store for a breakout season. He’s kind of a mix of Bilodeau and Bill Kyle 3 - athletic and explosive, but also skilled; he does most of his scoring around the rim and is super effective in transition, but he also has a skilled shooting touch (nice turnaround mid-range, 33% from 3FG last year). And much like Johnson, he’s a solid passer and rebounder for his size and role. And as if that wasn’t enough depth for the rotation, Top 50 combo guard Trent Perry from nearby Harvard Westlake HS is joining the team too.
I’m fascinated by this roster and its depth. Cronin realized he badly needed offense, and he successfully sourced LOTS of it from the portal. The backcourt returns its two most important players in Dylan Andrews and Sebastian Mack (both of whom should be expected to improve), with Skyy Clark, Dominick Harris, and Trent Perry adding much more talent and depth than the Bruins had last year. The collection of versatile, dangerous wings and forwards is ridiculous: Bilodeau, Johnson, Kyle, Stefanovic, and Dailey are all starting-caliber guys in the Big Ten, and all of them but Kyle can space the floor and shoot from deep. If anything, the biggest issue will be figuring out playing time and optimal lineup combos. Mara has a lot of potential at center, but may need more time to improve. While this season’s Bruins should improve exponentially on offense, there are also several very high-level defenders in the rotation that will help maintain defense as a strength, even in Bona’s absence. If a couple of these players turn into all-conference guys, I think UCLA should be able to finish in the Top 3-4 teams in the Big Ten and potentially contend in March again.
#14: Florida Gators
Returning
Walter Clayton Jr. (17.6 ppg - 43% / 37% / 88%)
Will Richard (11.4 ppg - 41% / 35% / 80%)
Alex Condon (7.7 ppg - 46% / 29% / 67%)
Micah Handlogten (5.3 ppg - 62% / 50% / 38%)
Thomas Haugh (3.9 ppg - 45% / 26% / 46%)
Denzel Aberdeen (3.3 ppg - 40% / 35% / 64%)
Kajus Kublickas (0.8 ppg - 50% / 0% / 83%)
Transfers
Alijah Martin (13.1 ppg @ FAU - 41% / 34% / 75%)
Sam Alexis (10.8 ppg @ Chattanooga - 55% / 27% / 48%)
Rueben Chinyelu (4.7 ppg @ Washington State - 62% / 0% / 49%)
Recruits
Isaiah Brown (247Sports #124)
Olivier Rioux
Urban Klavzar
Todd Golden is set to begin his 3rd season in Gainesville after his most successful season as the Gators’ head coach. The program showed marked improvement in Year 2, with the record jumping from 16-17 to 24-12 and the KenPom ranking soaring from 74, up to 26. Now, his roster is a bit more stable as he returns 7 players, 5-6 of whom were key contributors, and is only adding 5 more via the Transfer Portal (3) and Freshmen recruiting (2). The Gators finished 6th in the SEC last season, earned a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and came up just short to a very good (and probably under-seeded) Colorado Buffaloes team in one of the most entertaining games of the tournament. This season, the expectation is that Florida is competing to finish even higher in the league and perhaps win a tournament game
While Florida is losing its 2nd, 3rd, and 5th leading scorers, the team’s top scorer, Walter Clayton Jr., is returning and should be in serious consideration for 1st Team All SEC honors. Clayton is an elite shooter - he hit 90+ threes last season on >36% shooting from deep (after shooting 43% the year prior). He can score from anywhere on the floor, and while he’s continued to improve other parts of his offensive game (e.g., off-ball cuts, driving off screens, etc.), he’s leaning more and more into his best attribute: his dangerous 3pt shooting. Clayton was also the secondary ball-handler and second-best passer on last year’s team, so he may be asked to take over more of the point guard responsibilities with Zyon Pullin gone. Will Richard made the 2nd most threes on the team last season, 70+ on ~35% shooting, and his return will provide the Gators with vitally important continuity in what should be one of the best offensive backcourts in the SEC, yet again. Senior guard Alijah Martin (FAU transfer) is the final piece to the Gators’ backcourt puzzle, and he’s a fantastic addition. He also made 70+ threes last season, and while his downtown shooting dipped slightly (34% vs. >38% in prev. 2 seasons), he gives Florida even more firepower from deep. He’s also a prolific rebounder for a guard and will bring much-needed defensive tenacity to the position - Kugel forced turnovers at the highest rate for the Gators, and they ranked 318th in def. turnover rate (aka, the previously dubbed “Fraud Stat”). Denzel Aberdeen will serve as an experienced backup, and freshmen Isaiah Brown and Urban Klavzar (from Slovenia) can give the big dogs a break from time to time, but it’s not clear how much talent there is among the backcourt bench.
The frontcourt is in a similar position, but there are some newcomers that could give Golden another stacked rotation of bigs. Alex Condon was a great 6th/7th man as a freshman, and he’ll be ready to step into a bigger role next season - especially as Micah Handlogten redshirts to recover from the broken leg he suffered in the SEC Championship game. Condon is a top-tier rebounder and shot-blocker, though he will need to improve his scoring efficiency. Sophomore forward Thomas Haugh played the 4 spot quite a bit last year as a freshman, and although he’s no Tyrese Samuel quite yet, he should be able to fill that role decently well. 6’9” junior forward Sam Alexis was a MONSTER at Chattanooga. He averaged right around a double-double in 26 mpg, and his rebounding rate and shot blocking rate numbers are off the charts. He also shoots an efficient 55% from the field (60% from 2). Sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu from Wazzu will likely be a solid backup center - he had similarly dominant rebounding and shot-blocking stats from his appearances off the bench with the Cougars, but he seems raw offensively. Oh, and last…and maybe least (but not in height) incoming freshman Olivier Rioux…who is 7’9” … SEVEN. FOOT. NINE. He is, per the Guinness Book of World Records, the tallest teenager ON THE PLANET. I’m starting to think Todd Golden wants to be the new Matt Painter…and maybe Rioux is the next Zach Edey? Guess we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m guessing this kid is also very raw and/or immobile if 247 has him rated in the 300’s of his high school class (note: Edey was in the 400s!)
The Gators are going to sorely miss Zyon Pullin, Tyrese Samuel, and Micah Handlogten - but I think they have enough talent to finish near the top of the SEC, and make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season under Todd Golden. If Condon, Haugh, and Aberdeen all improve and Alexis is as good as advertised, the Gators will be a seriously good team. My biggest concerns for the Gators are 1) that Pullin was elite offensively and there isn’t a clear replacement for him in the point guard role (Clayton can do it, but will that make him less effective?) and 2) the defense needs to get better. The Gators were 360th in the country at forcing non-steal turnovers…that means your defense just needs to be more aggressive. Alijah Martin can help with some of that, but the team defense needs to be better overall, and that starts with coaching. The Gators’ offense could be Top 10-15 again, but it’s only going to carry them so far if they don’t defend better.
#15: Creighton Blue Jays
Returning
Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.3 ppg - 65% / 30% / 71%)
Steven Ashworth (11.1 ppg - 39% / 35% / 91%)
Mason Miller (5.6 ppg - 49% / 45% / 72%)
Isaac Traudt (2.9 ppg - 44% / 42% / 83%)
Fredrick King (2.6 ppg - 57% / 0% / 52%)
Jasen Green (1.6 ppg - 65% / 29% / 50%)
Transfers
Pop Isaacs (15.8 ppg @ Texas Tech - 35% / 29% / 84%)
Jamiya Neal (11.0 ppg @ Arizona State - 42% / 28% / 67%)
Recruits
Jackson McAndrew (ESPN #38 / 247Sports #39)
Larry Johnson (ESPN #78 / 247Sports #56)
Ty Davis
Sterling Knox (Redshirt)
Creighton loses its Top 2 scorers - Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander - to the NBA this summer. Those guys are tough to replace - especially Scheierman, IMO - and Greg McDermott knows it, which is why he made sure to snag two…we’ll call them “impactful” transfers, in the portal. The first, Pop Isaacs, is a great pickup. He was “the guy” at Texas Tech last year, and although he wasn’t incredibly efficient offensively, he was still a big part of what success that team had. He’s going to be incredibly interesting to watch next year, because his overall and 3pt shooting numbers regressed, but he was asked to do a lot more than he was as a freshman. His FGA / game jumped from 10 to 14, most of those inside the arc. He’s going to be a major contributor in this Creighton offense, but I think this offense will be better than Tech’s was, and McDermott is probably a better offensive coach than McCasland, so I think Isaacs has a chance to break out. He’s a good free throw shooter and shot well from 3 as a freshman, so he may be able to take a step forward and be more effective in Omaha. He’s also a much better defender than most of Creighton’s recent guards, and may be able to improve that abysmal “turnovers forced rate” stat that I’ve been groaning about for years now (aka the indelible mark of the fraud). The other inbound transfer is Jamiya Neal from Arizona State. He’s…probably less impactful. He’s a pretty big, long wing who finishes really well at the rim and is a very solid passer, but he’s never proven himself as a reliable shooter from deep despite 40% of his attempts coming from that distance. He’s a decent spot shooter, but he’s pretty horrible off the dribble, even in mid range. He’s either gotta stick to his strengths or build some new ones to be a valuable contributor.
I think Mason Miller might be preparing for a larger role on this team - he shot over 45% from 3 on > 100 attempts, and he had the 12th highest offensive efficiency on KenPom. That said, he’s a 200 lb, 6’8” forward who played 21 mpg and took 17 shots inside the arc all year, so he may need to become more well-rounded. Isaac Traudt is basically another Mason Miller - in his limited minutes, the 6’10” backup forward mostly spent his time spacing out the offense by sitting on the perimeter, picking-and-popping for the guards, and raining threes (at a 42% clip). Creighton’s best recruit, Jackson McAndrew, looks like a great pickup for McDermott, but he’s yet another power forward who can shoot from deep…so he may add great offensive depth, but I’m not sure where he fits in the rotation vs. the Miller and Traudt. The 4 star kid Larry Johnson, however, may be a hidden gem in the recruiting class. Go look up his highlights, he can jump out of the gym. He’s a very different guard than Creighton has had in recent years.
Overall, I think Creighton will be pretty damn good but not great (think just outside Top 10) - and probably not as good as last year unless Pop turns into a monster “All Big East” kinda guy. The starting backcourt is solid (depth remains to be seen), the frontcourt is not only awesome, it’s also very versatile and fun, but the lack of reliable wing depth in the absence of Scheierman is kind of concerning.